In the recent past, Signode Corporation, the assignee of the entire interest of the present application, has developed several machines for feeding strap in a chute to form a loop around an article to be strapped and for tensioning the loop tight about an article. Typically, these machines also apply a seal to the tensioned loop and sever the tensioned and sealed loop from the standing, or trailing, length of strap. Typical of such machines is the one disclosed and claimed in the U.S. Pat. to G. A. Crosby et al., No. 2,915,003.